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I'm looking to try and get my health in order and pack on some muscle. I'm not trying to get "roided up", I'm just trying to find some good vitamins and supplements to take that'll fit in with my workouts. I run and bike about 16 miles a week and lift 4 days a week. I take a low cal whey protein and a pre workout but that's about it. What are some supplements and vitamins some of you take to promote gains and overall health?

Muscle Pharm has a great Vitamin which contains many fruit and vegetable extracts plus some Probiotics, anti oxidants and Omega fatty acids..it's called Armor V. I have taken Centrum for years then switched to this and feel a lot better...only drawback is a serving is 6 pills...

Also, they have a really good BCAA which is called BCAA 3:1:2

I use Muscle Pharm pre workout, ASSAULT, post workout, RECON and their Protein Powder, COMBAT...I like all their products

I have used all kinds of different supps and brands and this has been the best for me. I know a lot of people like BSN or Gaspari...

I Powerlift, so my needs are a little different than what yours prob are...Muscle Pharm has a wide variety of supps, check out Bodybuilding.com or TigerFitness.com. Those two have the best prices and largest selection usually.

Last edited by BigOrangeCrush; 03-05-2014 at 10:49 AM..
Reason: More info

If you are looking to pack on some muscle you probably should tone down your cardio a little bit to enable some gains. What you will have to do is eat a ton and lift heavy to pack on the muscle (added fat is inevitable) and then while continuing to eat right, incorporate some cardio to help lose the extra bit of weight that was gained.

If you are looking to pack on some muscle you probably should tone down your cardio a little bit to enable some gains. What you will have to do is eat a ton and lift heavy to pack on the muscle (added fat is inevitable) and then while continuing to eat right, incorporate some cardio to help lose the extra bit of weight that was gained.

Great answer. He didnt really specify what he was going for, so I just threw in the supps angle. It would do us good to know what his goal is, to better help.

I Powerlift bc I don't have the willpower to eat right nor the time really. Also, it is really, really expensive and when you have a wife and 3 kids, it can add up big time...you have to make 2 seperate meals for each meal, yours and theirs.

I'm looking to try and get my health in order and pack on some muscle. I'm not trying to get "roided up", I'm just trying to find some good vitamins and supplements to take that'll fit in with my workouts. I run and bike about 16 miles a week and lift 4 days a week. I take a low cal whey protein and a pre workout but that's about it. What are some supplements and vitamins some of you take to promote gains and overall health?

If you have never tried a preworkout before I would give that a shot as well. Probably a bad thing, but I cannot workout without a preworkout now... it's just not the same.

I'm looking to try and get my health in order and pack on some muscle. I'm not trying to get "roided up", I'm just trying to find some good vitamins and supplements to take that'll fit in with my workouts. I run and bike about 16 miles a week and lift 4 days a week. I take a low cal whey protein and a pre workout but that's about it. What are some supplements and vitamins some of you take to promote gains and overall health?

Drink a protein shake before and after your workout. I'd also recommend adding a multivitamin with your breakfast. The easiest way to add solid muscle is to eat. You'll need to increase your calorie intake. Eating about 4-5 meals a day is ideal. Lean proteins like chicken, fish, meat and complex carbs like sweet potatoes, brown rice or rice cakes are a must after a workout. Drink your protein shake immediately after your workout and make sure you get a big, healthy meal in within an hour of completing your workout. You can take all of the supps you want, but unless you eat more, you'll never pack on muscle.

I exercise 4-5 times a week....weights and treadmill...and am looking to drop a little weight and tone more for the summer. I just bought the GNC Ripped Vitapaks, which from what I read, are pretty good. I usually don't buy GNC stuff since it's terribly overpriced. But this pack which is usually $60 for a 30 day supply, was on sale for $27. It has a multi, CLA, Thermo Igniter and diuretic.

Other than that, I take a C4 which is an NO3 for pre-workout and Dark Matter, which is protein based for post workout. The DM is awesome stuff!

I exercise 4-5 times a week....weights and treadmill...and am looking to drop a little weight and tone more for the summer. I just bought the GNC Ripped Vitapaks, which from what I read, are pretty good. I usually don't buy GNC stuff since it's terribly overpriced. But this pack which is usually $60 for a 30 day supply, was on sale for $27. It has a multi, CLA, Thermo Igniter and diuretic.

Other than that, I take a C4 which is an NO3 for pre-workout and Dark Matter, which is protein based for post workout. The DM is awesome stuff!

My wife and I have sold Shaklee products since 1977. Shaklee Corporation has a reputation that far exceeds all previous products mentioned in this thread. I do not mean to denigrate any of them, but if you want certain results I believe you need to contact a product with some 40 years of legetimacy.

If you have never tried a preworkout before I would give that a shot as well. Probably a bad thing, but I cannot workout without a preworkout now... it's just not the same.

I've been looking at some of these, but wanted to avoid one with Caffeine (I drink enough coffee as is). I usually just take some Creatine before lifting, then just eat a little more afterwards (had a deluxe burrito today, scientifically engineered with sour cream). The ones I looked at had caffeine listed as an ingredient, but not the actual amount. How jacked does the stuff get you?

I've been looking at some of these, but wanted to avoid one with Caffeine (I drink enough coffee as is). I usually just take some Creatine before lifting, then just eat a little more afterwards (had a deluxe burrito today, scientifically engineered with sour cream). The ones I looked at had caffeine listed as an ingredient, but not the actual amount. How jacked does the stuff get you?

It really depends on the brand. I used to take some stuff that after 15-20 min if I wasn't lifting weights my skin would be crawling and I would feel super amped up. The kind I'm taking now (pre-surge) is much more subtle and is more of a mental boost. My advice would be read up on reviews and sample to see what fits you. C3 is one of the first ones I took and it worked well.

Now that's a head scratcher...why would I want a huge insulin spike? It creates hypoglocemia and tells the body to store fat and then makes me tired and irritable. One serving is 48 grams of carbs and 10 grams of sugar. I should be able to get the same effect by eating a banana or apple.

Nothing wrong with simply eating more (healthy things), and staying hydrated. The gains you make will be slower, but will stick around longer. Nothing wrong with supplements, but you can get ripped without them. If you do wanna gain significant muscle more quickly, you'll need a bulking phase with much less cardio.

Here's a few suggestions based on many years of hard training ranging from lots of marathons and triathlons to years spent focusing on adding lean muscle mass:
1. I really like Ultragen for post-workout recovery. Very high-quality with nothing artificial in terms of colors/flavors.
2. Be careful with the pre-workout stuff. Some have really high levels of caffeine, and lots of add-on ingredients of questionable value.
3. Creatine helps.
4. Consider buying and mixing brown rice and pea proteins instead of whey. You get the complete amino acid profile you want without the fat, cholesterol and (in many) add-on ingredients.
5. Stay away from diuretics, particularly in the warmer months.
6. Buy a good juicer like an Omega and use it. It won't help you add muscle, but you'll be healthier which will likely mean you can train more consistently.

Nothing wrong with simply eating more (healthy things), and staying hydrated. The gains you make will be slower, but will stick around longer. Nothing wrong with supplements, but you can get ripped without them. If you do wanna gain significant muscle more quickly, you'll need a bulking phase with much less cardio.

And squats/deadlifts wouldn't hurt (so to speak) either. Best way to get more mass is to lift more than you weigh.